Q& A David Trubridge

Designer

What’s one place you would take every visitor to New Zealand, and why?

It would have to be the Far North. The low land is humble compared to archetypal New Zealand, but it is the spiritual and physical beginning and end of Aotearoa. Everything else happens in-between.

We arrived there on a yacht from the United Kingdom, and this was the first land we saw.

From the Far North, we worked in towards the centre, the way it should be.

What’s your secret backyard favourite spot?

Ma¯ hia in Hawke’s Bay. Thankfully it’s far enough from the main centres to remain relatively untouched.

Like most of the East Coast, you have to look around to find its secrets, but when you do, you will be rewarded with open hospitality and great surfing and fishing.

What’s your favourite place for a pie and coffee?

Replete Cafe & Store in Taupo¯ .

Hospitality is a hard industry to survive in, and cafes come and go too fast.

Replete has always been under the same ownership and I love that consistency.

I’m also proud of the furniture I made for the cafe nearly 30 years ago, which is still there.

What’s one New Zealand spot that’s at the top of your bucket list?

Dusky Sound. We tried to walk the track a few years ago but it rained even more than usual, and it’s hard enough in good weather.

I would like to visit all its nooks and crannies by boat to experience its extreme wilderness, as well as its history. It is a physically dramatic counterpoint to Spirits Bay.